This book examines the changing business and economic environment for postal services in Lithuania and the upcoming challenges for this industry. Postal services continue to play a central part in the development of national economies. However, the economic and social role of postal services has changed rapidly and fundamentally over the last two decades. In most industrialized countries, paper-based communications are in serious decline, while the demand for parcel delivery services is rising steadily with the continuing development of e-commerce, just-in-time production techniques, and global supply chains. For the postal sector as a whole, the centre of gravity has shifted dramatically from letters and documents to parcels. The authors explain how the organizational paradigm has inexorably shifted from that of a national, government-owned postal administration providing the basic delivery services required by society, to a system of interdependent local and regional undertakings that both compete and cooperate with one another. The book argues that there are no indications that the postal sector has stopped changing, and that it seems most probable that the European Union's postal sector will look quite different in 2035 than it does today. In closing, the book explains how the shareholders of postal services companies have recently confirmed that the time has come to rethink the strategy of creating and maintaining competitiveness in the postal services industry.

This book aims to provide insight into the fields of business and leadership by examining the role of ethics in these areas. The papers in this book derive from the 2014 Annual Griffiths School of Management International Conference, organized by Emanuel University of Oradea, Romania, where academics and practitioners interacted and discussed current insights and research in the different dimensions of business ethics and leadership. This resulting book offers empirical and theological research on ethics, business and leadership from a transdisciplinary and knowledge- based context. Since the financial crisis in 2008, the debate on business ethics and leadership has dominated the public sphere at all levels of interest, from grassroots to the elites in educational institutions, governments, businesses and NGOs. Naturally, constructive and transdisciplinary discussions need to take place, with due consideration for the specific context of each situation, so that propositions upon which to build the future can be formulated. These discussions unfold in an ever more intricate world of business, powered by ever more pervasive and intelligent technology and scientific development, all brought together by globalization. In this world, organizations are faced with new and more complex ethical issues in their pursuit to serve clients, gain profits, motivate employees, collaborate with partners and act responsibly towards society and the environment. A wise approach to changing the future is to understand the mistakes of the past, because one must always learn how to overcome past mistakes in order to develop a better future. But a necessary approach to building a better future is looking at the world through a transdisciplinary mindset. This allows us to see the world as a complex whole; it fosters creative interaction between fields of knowledge; it opens doors for knowledge and innovation flows across disciplines; and it allows the tackling of complex problems and situations. Given the current context of our world, this is an approach that we ought to pursue. Featuring contributions from academics, researchers, scholars and practitioners from across the globe, this book will be of great interest for students and practitioners in the fields of business, leadership and ethics.

This proceedings volume presents the latest scientific research and trends in experimental economics, with particular focus on neuroeconomics. Derived from the 2016 Computational Methods in Experimental Economics (CMEE) conference held in Szczecin, Poland, this book features research and analysis of novel computational methods in neuroeconomics. Neuroeconomics is an interdisciplinary field that combines neuroscience, psychology and economics to build a comprehensive theory of decision making. At its core, neuroeconomics analyzes the decision-making process not only in terms of external conditions or psychological aspects, but also from the neuronal point of view by examining the cerebral conditions of decision making. The application of IT enhances the possibilities of conducting such analyses. Such studies are now performed by software that provides interaction among all the participants and possibilities to register their reactions more accurately. This book examines some of these applications and methods. Featuring contributions on both theory and application, this book is of interest to researchers, students, academics and professionals interested in experimental economics, neuroeconomics and behavioral economics.

In this book the author investigates the role of entrepreneurship in the socio-economic development of emerging economies, highlighting its vital part in implementing development programs and policy initiatives. In search of efficient ways to stimulate entrepreneurial activities, Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies reviews recent academic research and accumulated policy implementation experiences to identify measures and instruments which can be adopted within emerging countries' institutional context. Particular attention is given to three issues which have dominated the debate on the macroeconomic impact of entrepreneurship at the turn of the twenty-first century: job creation, innovation, and international trade and economic cooperation. In the final chapter the author offers a holistic model of entrepreneurship policy to address the particular needs of emerging economies, encompassing entrepreneurship policy, favourable institutional environments and pragmatic principles for implementing selective policy measures.

"In today's rapidly changing digital environment, Darwinism is alive and well. "What's the Future of Business" doesn't just explore trends and theories; it introduces a dynamic, actionable path to transformation."--"Evan Greene, "CMO, The Recording Academy, Producers of the GRAMMY AwardsRethink your business model to incorporate the power of "user" experiences

"What's the Future of Business?" will galvanize a new movement that aligns the tenets of user experience with the vision of innovative leadership to improve business performance, engagement, and relationships for a new generation of consumerism. It provides an overview of real-world experiences versus "user" experiences in relation to products, services, mobile, social media, and commerce, among others. This book explains why experience is everything and how the future of business will come down to shared experiences. Aligns the tenets of user experience with the concepts of innovative leadership to improve business performance and engagement and to motivate readers to rethink business models and customer and employee relationshipsMotivates readers to rethink business models, products and services, marketing, and customer and employee relationships with desired experiences in mindBrian Solis is globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media, and is the author of "Engage " and "The End of Business as Usual "

Discover how user experience design affects your business, and how you can harness its power for meaningful revenue growth

Exploring the elements that constitute the perceived luxuriousness of a brand, this book addresses the changing definitions of the term 'luxury' in today's world. Taking the approach that the concept of luxury evolves from the consumer, the author introduces a conceptual model which explains how the consumer interprets the luxuriousness of a brand. This innovative study analyses the key elements that influence luxury branding, such as extended product, perceived uniqueness, authenticity and context specificity. By critically reflecting on the existing definitions of luxury and its challenges, this book makes a unique contribution to research and an essential read for marketing students and scholars.

Presenting some of the most significant research on the modern understanding of luxury, this edited collection of articles from the Journal of Brand Management explores the complex relationships consumers tie with luxury, and the unique characteristics of luxury brand management. Covering the segmentation of luxury consumers worldwide, the specificity of luxury management, the role of sustainability for luxury brands and major insights from a customer point of view, Advances in Luxury Brand Management is essential reading for upper level students as well as scholars and discerning practitioners.

Steenkamp introduces the global brand value chain and explains how brand equity factors into shareholder value. The book equips executives with techniques for developing strategy, organizing execution, and measuring results so that your brand will prosper globally. What sets strong global brands apart? First, they generate more than half their revenue and most of their growth outside their home market. Secondly, their brand equity is responsible for a massive percentage of their firm's market value. Third, they operate as single brands everywhere on the planet. We find them in B2C and B2B industries, among large and small companies, and among established companies and new businesses. The stewards of these brands have a set of skills and knowledge that sets them apart from the typical corporate marketer. So what's their secret? In a world that is globalizing, but not yet globalized, how do you build a powerful global brand that resonates universally but also accommodates local nuances? How do you ensure that it is dynamic and flexible enough to change at market speed? World-class marketing expert Jan-Benedict Steenkamp has studied global brands for over 25 years on six continents. He has distilled their practices into eight tools that you can start using today. With case studies from around the world, Steenkamp's book is provocative and timely. Global Brand Strategy speaks to three types of B2C and B2B managers: those who want to strengthen already strong global brands, those who want to launch their brands globally and get results, and those who need to revive their global brand and stop the bleeding.

This edited volume brings together contributions from experts on a range of food security issues, and examines them through a number of case studies. A Millennium Development goal and important policy concern, food security is experiencing renewed interest due to globalisation, which has led to population affluence, changing consumption, and production and trade patterns. The authors discuss how globalisation brings a new dimension to the discussion on public policy on food security, and consider the extent to which Global Value Chains (GVCs) dominate trade, investment and international agricultural markets. Food Security and Sustainability therefore sheds new light on the nexus of food security and globalization, as well as its implications for investment and financing in the agro-food sector. The volume draws on papers presented at the inaugural Workshop of the Mediterranean Center for Food Security and Sustainable Growth (MED-SEC), an international network of academics focusing on issues of development, sustainability and food security.

The aim of this book is to show how wine tourism can be used as a model for sustainable economic development, driving economic growth and social development in some locations. It will explore the interaction between tourism and viticulture in wine tourism destinations, while also explaining some of the repercussions of these activities. This book covers various topics including regional development, environmental management, sustainable viticulture, quality management in wineries and wine tourism routes among others. Wine tourism, which combines two important yet distinct economic activities (i.e., tourism and viticulture), has recently emerged as a new tourism product driven by tourists' search for new experiences and wineries' need to diversify their businesses and seek new revenue streams to boost sales. This new form of tourism, which typically takes place in rural areas and which combines wine production with tourist activities, is becoming important for such regions by providing a complementary income source. It provides a model for sustainable economic development for these regions, which for various reasons may otherwise struggle to develop. Featuring cases and business implications from various locations, this book provides an important source of knowledge-both theoretical and practical-suitable to academics, scholars, researchers, and practitioners in the tourism sector and the wine industry.

This special issue of Review of Marketing Research is unique in that it contains articles by marketing legends in their own words. Presented in alphabetical order; Richard Bagozzi, Shelby Hunt, Philip Kotler, V Kumar, Naresh K. Malhotra, Kent Monroe, Jagdish M Sheth, Yoram (Jerry) Wind and Gerald Zaltman summarize in their own words not only their research but also the salient aspects of their academic life journeys. In this outstanding collection: VK views his research from a decision-making point of view in terms of decisions marketers make either at the market, brand, firm, store, or the customer level; Kotler describes how he entered the marketing field and shows his contributions in four sections: articles written, books published, students nurtured, and executives consulted and trained; Sheth, described as an accidental marketerA", traces the interesting path he followed as the social scientist interested in buyer behavior who ventured into organizational buyer behaviour; Wind shows how his research has been influenced by the real world challenges facing corporations and organizations, and talks of his search for and use of the latest methodological developments to assure the rigor and validity of the solutions.

This book brings together current innovative methods and approaches to segmentation and outlines why segmentation is needed to support more effective social marketing program design. It presents a variety of segmentation approaches alongside case studies of their application in various social marketing contexts. The book extends the use of segmentation in social marketing, which will ultimately lead to more effective and better-tailored programs that deliver change for the better. As such, it offers a detailed handbook on how to conduct state-of-the-art segmentation, and provides a valuable resource for academics, social marketers, educators, and advanced students alike.

This book brings together the state of the art and current debates in the field of formative research, and examines many of the innovative methods largely overlooked in the available literature. This book will help social marketing to move beyond surveys and focus groups. The book addresses the needs of social marketing academics and practitioners alike by providing a robust and critical academic discussion of cutting-edge research methods, while demonstrating at the same time how each respective method can help us arrive at a deeper understanding of the issues that social marketing interventions are seeking to remedy. Each chapter includes a scholarly discussion of key formative research methods, a list of relevant internet resources, and three key readings for those interested in extending their understanding of the method. Most chapters also feature a short case study demonstrating how the methods are used.

This book addresses the emerging field of neuromarketing, which, at its core, aims to better understand the impact of marketing stimuli by observing and interpreting human emotions. It includes contributions from leading researchers and practitioners, venturing beyond the tactics and strategies of neuromarketing to consider the ethical implications of applying powerful tools for data collection. The rationale behind neuromarketing is that human decision-making is not primarily a conscious process. Instead, there is increasing evidence that the willingness to buy products and services is an emotional process where the brain uses short cuts to accelerate the decision-making process. At the intersection of economics, neuroscience, consumer behavior, and cognitive psychology, neuromarketing focuses on which emotions are relevant in human decision-making, and uses this knowledge to make marketing more effective. The knowledge is applied in product design; enhancing promotions and advertising, pricing, professional services, and store design; and improving the consumer experience as a whole. The foundation for all of this activity is data gathering and analysis. Like many new processes and innovations, much of neuromarketing is operating far ahead of current governmental compliance and regulation and thus current practices are raising ethical issues. For example, facial recognition software, used to monitor and detect a wide range of micro-expressions, has been tested at several airports-under the guise of security and counterterrorism. To what extent is it acceptable to screen the entire population using these powerful and intrusive techniques without getting passengers' consent? Citing numerous examples from the public and private sectors, the editors and contributing authors argue that while the United States has catalyzed technological advancements, European companies and governments are more progressive when it comes to defining ethical parameters and developing policies. This book details many of those efforts, and offers rational, constructive approaches to laying an ethical foundation for neuromarketing efforts.

This book outlines the core concept of the theory of mixed oligopoly and presents recent results that have arisen in a mixed oligopolistic market. The wave of privatization since the 1980s has taken the development of the theory of mixed oligopoly in several directions. Although the main concern of the theory of mixed oligopoly focuses on the effect of regime change-especially privatization of a public firm-on social welfare, existing studies have not considered the difference in economic environments. With drastic changes in economic environments along with economic development in recent years, the domestic and foreign markets have become more and more integrated, firms have become concerned about corporate social responsibility, and governments or politicians have had various interests and preferences. Against that background, this book revisits the question of how privatization affects social welfare by incorporating regional and international interdependency and investigates how firms' activities for corporate social responsibility, governments' preferences, and political economic situations affect the market circumstance in a mixed oligopoly. The dynamic aspect of privatization is also investigated.

Combining the latest branding research with a diverse range of powerful case examples, this book reveals the cutting edge techniques of value co-creation, personalisation and customer engagement employed by sport's leading brands. Based on the transferable lessons that emanate from these practices, Brand Fans explores and illuminates how firms can cultivate connected fans and lifelong advocates, while building brand equity exponentially in the process. This is a book that will appeal to scholars and practitioners alike, as well as anyone fascinated by modern marketing, consumer relationships and branding.

This book examines the impact of multinational enterprises (MNEs) on local economies, and presents selected case studies of MNEs operating in low income countries. By balancing external social and environmental costs against its corresponding benefits, the book demonstrates that MNEs can have a positive net-impact on local development if they build up social capital by embedding themselves in local economies and engaging responsibly with local stakeholders. By doing so MNEs contribute to inclusive growth, a central pillar of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In this context, the book challenges popular narratives in civil society and academia that frame foreign direct investment (FDI) merely as a threat to human rights and sustainable development. Moreover, it offers practical guidance for globally operating businesses seeking to establish progressive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies of their own.

The revised Fourth Edition of this popular textbook is redesigned with Excel 2016 to encourage business students to develop competitive advantages for use in their future careers as decision makers. Students learn to build models using logic and experience, produce statistics using Excel 2016 with shortcuts, and translate results into implications for decision makers. The textbook features new examples and assignments on global markets, including cases featuring Chipotle and Costco. A number of examples focus on business in emerging global markets with particular emphasis on emerging markets in Latin America, China, and India. Results are linked to implications for decision making with sensitivity analyses to illustrate how alternate scenarios can be compared. The author emphasises communicating results effectively in plain English and with screenshots and compelling graphics in the form of memos and PowerPoints. Chapters include screenshots to make it easy to conduct analyses in Excel 2016. PivotTables and PivotCharts, used frequently in business, are introduced from the start. The Fourth Edition features Monte Carlo simulation in four chapters, as a tool to illustrate the range of possible outcomes from decision makers' assumptions and underlying uncertainties. Model building with regression is presented as a process, adding levels of sophistication, with chapters on multicollinearity and remedies, forecasting and model validation, auto-correlation and remedies, indicator variables to represent segment differences, and seasonality, structural shifts or shocks in time series models. Special applications in market segmentation and portfolio analysis are offered, and an introduction to conjoint analysis is included. Nonlinear models are motivated with arguments of diminishing or increasing marginal response.

In recent years, luxury goods markets have faced significant changes that have influenced both the dynamics of the competition, as well as their strategies. The principal changes include the following: new geographical market development, such as in the Far East, India, and some parts of Africa (these countries are added to a list of already relevant countries that are involved in luxury goods consumption, such as the Emirates, Russia, and South America); diffusion of new media and new technologies in communication, which is characterized by a high degree of interaction; the evolution of distribution channels is underway - these channels are moving towards new forms of integration that utilize both physical digital channels. This has forced firms to revise their strategies and implement multichannel marketing strategies to continue to operate in increasingly international markets that are characterized by increasingly more demanding and informed consumers. This book will enable readers to gain a clear insight into how the luxury goods market operates and amongst other things, focuses on: recent internet and social media strategies adopted by luxury companies and their brands; how luxury companies manage their communication and distribution channels to compete in the market and the impact of digital marketing on their competition; the main models of direct and indirect distribution in the digital channels; how consumers react to multichannel strategies; trends, social commerce and CSR and how luxury companies react; identifying the different social media strategies for luxury companies.

This book provides an overview of current issues and challenges in the fashion industry and an update on data-driven artificial intelligence (AI) techniques and their potential implementation in response to those challenges. Each chapter starts off with an example of a data-driven AI technique on a particular sector of the fashion industry (design, manufacturing, supply or retailing), before moving on to illustrate its implementation in a real-world application

This book provides the first comprehensive academic study of what China's trade with, and investment in, African countries mean for the socio-economic well-being of the continent. Based on the African Tree of Organic Growth Framework developed in the book, Jonker and Robinson outline the factors necessary in realizing Africa's Renaissance vision and the impact that the Chinese might have on this process. Using the metaphor of the Baobab tree, the authors analyze the historical, cultural and economic contexts within African countries, the channels available to produce development and growth, and the fruits or social and economic well-being created by this integrated process. The book takes readers on a journey of numerous African examples and case studies, describing and analyzing the challenges and complexities of countries in their desire to achieve organic, cultural, scientific and economic renewal, and the improvement of the well-being of their citizens. This book will be of great value to economists, people who wish to do business in Africa, China-watchers, those who are following the development and growth of Africa, and more.

The book presents contributions from Brazilian experts on the regulation of different energy sources. Focusing on describing and discussing the fundamental issues related to the legal regulation of each of the sources that compose Brazil's energy matrix, it also analyzes economic and strategic aspects and identifies the main current problems related to the exploration for and production of each energy source. The book offers a clear and detailed overview of energy law and regulation for policymakers, foreign investors and legal professionals dealing with energy projects in Brazil.

This casebook provides students and academics in business management and marketing with a collection of case studies on services marketing and service operations in emerging economies. It explores current issues and practices in Asia, across different areas, countries, commercial and non-commercial sectors. This book is important and timely in providing a framework for instructors, researchers, and students to understand the service dynamics occurring in these countries. It serves as an invaluable resource for marketing and business management students requiring insights into the operationalization of services across different geographical areas in Asia. Students will find it interesting to compare and contrast different markets covering important aspects related to services.

This book examines prominent issues in the Emerging Markets (EM) from a variety of disciplines in order to make useful societal contributions through knowledge exchange. EMs offer enormous opportunities, but realizing them is both challenging and risky due to inherent uncertainties of such markets. EM's also have unique characteristics that makes them different from developed countries. This causes implications for both theory and practice. These markets necessitate substantial adaptations of developed theories and approaches employed in the Western world. This book investigates problems specific to emerging markets, and identifies new theoretical constructs, hypotheses (re)development, and emphasizes institutional contexts. The chapters in this book establish new conceptual and theoretical paradigms from multidisciplinary perspectives concentrated in the areas of information systems, electronic government, and digital and social media matters. The book focuses on topics in these areas such as digital enterprises, sustainability, telemedicine, and Information Communication Technology (ICT) and surveys the potential challenges and opportunities that may arise. These concepts and topics covered in this book are vital for making the global economy more equitable and sustainable.

This volume presents selected articles from the 21st Eurasia Business and Economics Society (EBES) Conference, which was held in Budapest (Hungary) in 2017. The theoretical and empirical papers in this volume cover various areas of business, economics, and finance from a diverse range of regions. In particular, this volume focuses on the latest trends in consumer behavior, new questions in the development of organizational strategy, and the interaction of financial economics with industrial economics and policy.